They had worked their way back downstairs. She grabbed her purse. "You spend enough time there. And besides, now that I live here, I might just come visit you and I'd like to not think I'm in jail when I'm at your place."
"Fine. Whatever. Bring me a purple vase or pillow to add some color or something."
She laughed. "You know I'm going to do exactly that, don't you?"
He put his arm around her waist and tugged her against him. "Why do you think I suggested it? You don't think I can pick out stuff like that, do you?"
She shook her head and they walked out the door. She lived close enough to several restaurants, so they walked to Delfina.
"There's a line," he said.
She nodded. "There always is. But I made a reservation."
He looked down at her. "Because you're so smart."
She grinned. "Exactly."
They went inside and she gave her name.
"It'll be a few minutes," the hostess said. "Would you like to wait in the bar?"
"Sounds good to me," Nathan said.
The restaurant was sleek and modern, but also felt charming and cozy. Mia had eaten here with Flynn and his girlfriend, Amelia, and loved it.
The bartender made his way over, so Nathan looked at her. "What would you like?"
"A pinot noir."
Nathan nodded. "I'll have a beer."
After the bartender gave them their drinks, Nathan took a pull of his beer, then slid around on the cushioned bar stool to face her. "How did it go today at work?"
She had taken a sip or two of wine, so she set the glass on the bar top. "Good. Hectic. More than hectic. We barely got the place set up when a prospective client came in."
"Yeah? Who was it?"
She slanted a look at him. "You know I can't tell you until I sign him."
"Oh. Confidentiality shit, huh?"
"Yes."
"Fine. I can respect that." He picked up his beer and took a drink. "Anyone I know?"
She laughed. "Nathan. I can't tell you."
He pointed his bottle at her. "You're good at this."
"At what?"
"Keeping secrets."
"It's not a secret. It's my job. And I take it very seriously."
"Relax, Mia. I won't make you divulge your client info."
She lifted her chin. "You couldn't make me."
He studied her. "You're wound up tight."
She realized he'd been teasing her, and she'd taken it too seriously. She picked up her glass and took a few sips, hoping the wine would relax her. Nathan wasn't some stranger. He was her friend and he'd never put her in an awkward position. She was just being bitchy and that wasn't like her--most days.
"You're right. Sorry. It's been a stressful few months."
He smoothed his hand over her shoulder, then down her back. "I know you've been stressed and I've been wrapped up in my own shit and haven't been here for you. So I'm sorry for that."
"Hey, don't worry about it. Like you said, you have your own things to worry about."
"Which doesn't mean you couldn't pick up the phone and call me so we can talk. If I can't fuck you, I can listen to you, ya know. That was the deal, right?"
She laughed. "Yes, that was the deal."
"So . . . talk. What's got you stressed?"
She inhaled a deep breath, then let it out. "Have I bitten off more than I can chew? Do I really have what it takes to make this business a success? Will people in this industry take me seriously even though I'm so young? Are they going to think that I'm using the Cassidy family name to climb the ladder without the smarts to back it up? I'm asking athletes to put their entire careers in my hands, and that's a big deal. And I'm asking the people who've come on board my company to trust that I'm going to make them successful as well. So, you know . . . everything has me stressed right now."
He put his beer down and took her hands in his. "Mia, I've never known anyone as loaded with self-confidence and drive as you. While other people our age were content with living off their parents or staying in school for as long as possible, you've been determined to forge a career for yourself. You came up with this amazing idea, and despite how daunting it was, you ran like hell with it. And not only did you run like hell with it, you spent a year putting it all together. So you didn't rush into anything.
"You got your financing in order, you've surrounded yourself with all the best people in the business and you took your time to make sure you did it all right. So it's not like you just pulled this idea out of your ass in a day and decided to give it a try without thinking about it.
"Is it scary? Hell yes it is. But if I were going to have someone manage my career for me from top to bottom, I can't think of anyone I'd trust more than you."
Her heart squeezed. That meant more to her than anything, because she knew Nathan's career was everything to him.
"Would you let me?"
He frowned at her. "Would I let you what?"
"Manage your career."
"You mean would I consider going with MHC?"
"Yes."
"I don't know, Mia. Not that I don't think MHC is the shit, because I do. But you and I being friends, and then in business together? Don't you think that would muddy the waters?"
"I have account managers, Nathan. You wouldn't even have to deal directly with me."
He cocked a brow. "So this is a sales dinner?"
"No. Of course not. And I'm insulted to think you'd actually believe that. Even though I do think we can manage your career more effectively than anyone else."
He laughed and took a long swallow of his beer. "You just can't turn it off, can you?"
She lifted her shoulders, the tension a constant knot there. "I'm sorry. Again. I can't seem to tell these days when you're teasing and when you're serious. I'm out of sync."
"You probably need to get laid."
She lifted her glass and took a long, deep drink this time. "There's no 'probably' about it. I definitely need to get laid."
Their name was called, so they were seated at their table. It was an intimate place, with loud chatter going on and tables strung close together.
"Great place," Nathan said. "And crowded."
"I know, right? You're going to love the food."
Their waiter brought menus, so they perused those and ordered food, along with refills on their drinks.
"So you're going to come to the games and watch me play, right?"
She gave him a look. "You do realize my brother plays for the Sabers, too."
"Yes, I'm aware. But I mean to watch me play."
She laughed. "Yes, I'll come watch you play. Flynn got me season tickets when he found out I was moving here. And Amelia has tickets as well so we'll both be going."
"That's his girlfriend?"
"Yes."
"She's the chef at his restaurant, right?"
Mia nodded. "The head chef. She's amazing."
"You should take me there to eat sometime."
"Sure. You'd like it. Amelia makes some incredible and unique dishes."
"Sounds good. How about tomorrow?"
She shook her head. "All you think about is food."
He slanted a smoldering look in her direction. "That's not all I think about."
"Okay. Food and sex."
"Correction. Food, sex and football. Not always in that order."
She laughed. "That sounds about right for you. Speaking of sex--"
"Now we're getting to the good stuff."
She rolled her eyes. "Speaking of sex, are you seeing anyone?"
He shook his head. "Nah. Too much going on right now. Plus the press is all up my ass about succeeding my dad, and the last thing I need to do is bring a woman into all that bullshit. You know how it is."
"I definitely know how it is."
"So that means you're not seeing anyone?"
"You remember the discussion we had at the bar about me needing to get laid?"
"Yeah?"
"That mean
s I'm not currently seeing anyone."
"Right."
Their food arrived. Nathan had ordered the hangar steak and fries, while Mia opted for the spaghetti with plum tomatoes. She reached over with her fork and snagged a slice of his steak.
"Hey," he said. "Don't you know every bite of protein counts?"
"Oh, you poor baby. You'll just have to go without this one tiny morsel."
"You're a mean woman, Mia Cassidy."
"Uh-huh. You're what--six four?"
"Yeah."
"And I'm five four. So I think if you wanted to, you could eat your meal and mine and there wouldn't be much I could do about it. So spare me your sob story about how mean I am."
"You are mean. You know I have to be nice to you."
"Or what? It's not like I'm your girlfriend and I'm withholding sex."
He gave her a shocked look. "Women do that?"
"I don't, but some do."
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
"Obviously none of your women have ever done that."
"Of course not. I'm so good at it the last thing they'd want to do is deny themselves."
She rolled her eyes, then went back to eating, deciding that boosting Nathan's already overly healthy ego wasn't on her agenda tonight.
"So how many clients--the ones you can talk about--do you have now?"
She thought about it. "Six."
"That's good considering you just started."
She nodded. "I wanted to make sure to bring some on board beforehand. The Cassidy name definitely helped, and I'm not above using it to entice people in the door. And my brothers definitely helped me out by pushing some people in my direction so I could pitch to them. It's what MHC can do for them once they get in the door that makes all the difference."
He'd finished his steak, so he leaned back in his chair. "Okay, tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"What MHC can do for me."
She looked around. The restaurant was packed with people, and the ones nearest to them were only a couple of feet away. "I'm not going to do that here. It's too noisy."
"Fine. We'll go back to my place."
"The jail? No thanks. We'll go to my place, have some wine and not talk business. I'm not giving you a sales pitch unless you come to my office."
He studied her. "So you're going to make MHC seem so enticing I won't be able to help myself until I go there and hear what you have to say."
"Exactly."
"You know I'm immune to your considerable charm, Miss Cassidy."
She batted her lashes at him. "Are you?"
He leveled a smirk at her. "At least business-wise."
"Hmm. We'll see." She wasn't sure why she was pushing this. It wasn't like she wanted so desperately to have Nathan as a client. Having him at MHC could get sticky. Not that it wasn't doable. Anything was doable. It would just be--complicated.
Once they finished eating, and they both declined dessert, their waiter brought the bill. Nathan started to grab the check but Mia insisted they split it.
"We're not dating, remember?" she said. "So you don't get to pay for my dinner."
He shook his head. "Does everything have to be an argument with you?"
"We're not arguing. We're splitting the check."
"Fine. Split the check."
They each paid their portion, then they took the walk back to her town house. It had gotten cooler out. She was glad she'd brought a cardigan, which she pulled tighter around herself.
"Cold?" Nathan asked.
"A little."
He put his arm around her and tugged her close to his body as they walked. She was instantly warmer.
"Your body is like a furnace," she said.
"Hey, I'm hot. Everyone knows that."
She lifted her gaze to his. "Everyone? Hyperbole much, Nathan?"
"Everyone who has gotten naked with me knows that."
"Better. And I've been naked with you."
He arched a brow. "See how getting naked with me is always on your mind? It's probably making you warmer just thinking about it."
If she didn't know Nathan so well, she'd think he was some asshole, always thinking about sex. But she was well aware of his teasing. She did the same to him. The one thing she liked so much about Nathan was his blatant honesty. Even if said honesty often included sex banter. It was when she didn't know what was on his mind that she became concerned. Nathan had always been an open book with her. That's why they'd become such close friends.
She dug her keys out of her clutch and opened the door, then flipped on the light.
"If I remember, there's a bathroom downstairs, right?" he asked.
"Down the hallway to your right."
"Okay."
"I'm going to grab a glass of wine. Do you want a beer?"
"Yeah, thanks."
She went into the kitchen and turned on the lights, dropped her clutch on the kitchen island and pulled a wineglass from the cabinet. She reached for the wine bottle and set that on the island, then went to the fridge to grab a beer for Nathan. By the time he came out of the bathroom she was opening the bottle.
Nathan took his beer and opened it, then wandered into the living room. Mia poured her wine and followed him, taking a seat on the sofa next to him.
She had a game of solitaire on the table that she'd started, and Nathan had picked it up and continued it so she joined in. They played the game for a while, chatting while they did.
"Oh, you know what?" she said as they paused to refill their drinks. "Amy Mackenfield broke up with her boyfriend."
Nathan feigned shock. "What? The couple that was going to be together until the end of time?"
Mia laughed. "That was my thought, too. I guess 'until the end of time' didn't last very long past college graduation."
Nathan braced a hip against the kitchen island. "So what happened?"
"She got a job offer in Houston and Bill wouldn't make the move with her. He said his job in Austin was going so well that he didn't want to lose it. They tried the long distance thing for about six months. Amy realized it wasn't going to work any longer, so she broke up with him."
"Ah. I always thought they were mismatched anyway."
She tilted her head at Nathan as they made their way back into the living room and resumed their seats on the couch. "Really? How so?"
"She's very ambitious. He was content with the status quo and wasn't the motivated type. Seems that didn't change much after college."
"You're right about that." She swirled her wine around in the glass, then took a sip. "I don't know of many relationships that last through the tumultuous years of college."
"Ours did."
She laughed. "We're not in a relationship, Nathan. We're friends."
"Is there a difference?"
She leaned back and kicked off her shoes. "Of course there is. I'm friends with several people from college."
"Close friends?"
"Maybe not. I'd say I'm closest to you and to Monique. You're the two people I tell all my secrets to."
"I'm glad I know all the dirt. At least the non-sex dirt."
She laughed. "That's true. You don't get to hear about my sex life."
"Why is that?"
"Because that would be weird."
"In what way?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess maybe because we've been intimate before. Or maybe because you're a guy. I don't know."
"Now you're being sexist. Just because I'm a guy doesn't mean I can't hear the dirty details of your sex life."
"Oh, right. Like you share the details of your sex life with me."
"True. I don't. I wouldn't want to make you weep about what you're missing out on."
She rolled her eyes. "Please."
"See? Now you've resorted to begging. I knew this would happen." He stood and reached for the zipper of his jeans. "Okay, give me a second to lose my pants and we'll get down to it."
She was laughing so hard she had to put her
glass down. "Oh, my God, Nathan. Stop."
He stilled and turned to face her. "This is not the reaction I typically get when I'm about to drop my pants, Mia."
She wiped her eyes. "Well, I'm not your typical woman, am I?"
He took a seat and picked up his beer. "No, you're not. I can't figure out why you're so immune to me."
She leaned into him. "I wouldn't say I'm exactly immune to you. I find you immensely hot. It's just that I love our friendship more than I love your penis."
He sighed and tugged her close. "Dammit. Maybe I should be meaner to you."
"Oh, please don't do that. Then who would give me those awesome shoulder rubs when I'm tense?"
"Was that a hint?"
"Not even a hint." She pulled herself forward. "I've had a rough day."
He sighed. "Come on and sit between my legs."
She got up, then nestled her butt in between his thighs, spreading her fingers over all that delicious hard muscle.
Keep it in the friend zone, Mia, she reminded herself. Ignoring her body's reaction to being cradled against him, she decided it would be more prudent to keep the touching to a minimum. She removed her hands and placed them in her lap and focused on the way his hands moved over the tight muscles of her shoulders. He knew exactly where the knots of tension were located. In a matter of minutes all those muscles were relaxed as his fingers glided over her skin.
But as he moved his hands over her body, that tension was replaced with something else. For some reason, she was aware of Nathan like never before. The way it felt to be caged between his thighs, the sound of his breathing as he leaned forward to dig deeper into her muscles, and his cool, clean scent whenever she took a deep breath.
What was wrong with her? This wasn't the first time he'd given her a massage. But for some reason, tonight she was vibing off him in a distinctly sexual way.
She found it very disturbing. After that one night a few years ago, she'd shut those feelings down completely. Other than having a penis, he'd been no different than one of her girlfriends.
Something had definitely changed, though. It had to be the unmet sexual need on her part that had surfaced with all the stress she was under.
She really needed to take care of it so that whenever Nathan put his hands on her or looked at her or breathed near her she'd stop feeling achy and aroused.
And stop feeling this overwhelming need to ask him to strip her down and lick her all over.
Oh, God, her body throbbed as she visualized him doing just that.
NATHAN NOTICED RIGHT AWAY THAT MIA WAS TENSE. More edgy than usual. He chalked it up to being wound up tight about the new business. She probably had a lot on her mind and wasn't sleeping well. He knew all about pressure and what it could do to your body.